When actor Patrick Dempsey's departure from Grey's Anatomy was announced in 2015, many worried the show would flail, ultimately nearing its end. That didn't happen—at all. And in a recent interview, Ellen Pompeo opened up about Dempsey's sudden exit, both joking that it's amazing how much people can accomplish without a guy around and acknowledging that change breeds progress and development—especially as far as television shows are concerned.

The first thing Pompeo said in reaction to Dempsey's departure was, "It's amazing how much you get done without a penis." The tongue-in-cheek nature of the statement was apparent—it's silly to assume that a show is bound to fail after one of its primary male actors leaves—but she made it clear that her sass wasn't directed at Dempsey. "We miss him dearly," she said. "But yeah, the show is doing very well."

She then addressed Dempsey's exit more seriously. Pompeo acknowledged that many fans were shocked and saddened by the loss of Dempsey's character, Dr. Derek Shepherd, at the end of season 11. "That's super understandable," Pompeo said. "But I think the change is part of the reason why the show goes on so long. People tune in to see what the show's going to look like now and what Meredith [Pompeo's character] is going to do without Derek." These major changes push character development forward and keep the plot progressing, regardless of how upsetting they may be at the time.